John Bull; Or, The Englishman's Fireside: A Comedy, in Five Acts

The five-act comedy follows a cast of provincial characters in Cornwall whose follies and social foibles produce energetic farce and moral reflection. A benevolent but imprudent father, having given his modest earnings to a grateful youth, finds himself threatened with ruin, while scheming relatives, rustic servants and city visitors create misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and comic confrontations. Sharp comic dialogue and broad humour alternate with touches of natural feeling and social satire to examine charity, prudence, and national character. Scenes move between public houses, country houses and drawing rooms as the plot resolves through revelations, repentances, and reconciliations.